Hi,

How do people stay so dedicated to their diet? I know it's a question of will power, but i've just been to a wedding anniversary with buffet. We then also went to an indian restaurant for the rare occasion that the whole family, complete with partners, was together. I had to stay at my sisters house for the long weekend, so everything was messed up because i couldnt eat when I wanted or what I wanted (due to time restrictions and what they had in the house) and there were no weights.

Does everybody at some stage have to take a break? Or do you just carry a hamper with you? :D

Adrian

everyone NEEDS a break, if you have a cheat, count it as a carb up or mini mini bulk :p
1 buffet dinner aint going to spoil too much work, maybe try sticking to alot of protein, although that hardly stopped me at my aunts house..... but thats another story :D (my stomach hurt :p)

It very difficult to be perfect all of the time. There will always be times when you can't eat perfectly like you would at home, but as long as those times are few and far between then it won't hurt you at all. besides, its good to have a break from it from time to time, otherwise you'd just end up falling off the wagon anyway.

With regards to the hamper, yes I have actually taken food round to friends houses, and have been known to crack out a piece of chicken on the 13th tee box!

I'm not focused on perfection in my diet when I end up at a buffet or family dinner. I'm conscious of what I eat, and therefore end up "pigging out" to a lesser degree than what I used to. It's still a "cheat" but it doesn't do nearly as much damage as a traditional Christmas dinner used to do.

On road trips, I always bring a box of cereal with me. For other people's homes, I just hope that they have something I can eat. When I visit my mom, I usually take a big shopping trip the first day to buy the things I like to eat, then I offer to make several of the meals for her.

lol...I would have to say I'm usually unwilling to just go with it. But considering I just take a canister of oatmeal and a grocery bag full of canned tuna, I manage okay...though I wouldn't recommend it unless you can handle the questioning looks on your hosts'/hostess' faces. What I did see for those of you who just can't stand to cheat, is a carb supplement that's supposedly a 100% slow burning carb that you mix with a liquid. I think I saw it on this site called Body Changers. It was interesting...maybe something I'll look into if I come up on a long road trip or something.

-Shafe

Considering some definitions of 'cheat' I probably have almost as many cheat as non-cheat days. However, most of those days are only 100-300 calories over my non-cheat, and I reduce my non-cheat calorie intake by 200/day to account for the 'small cheats'.

Restaurant/buffet eating is an art unto itself. Suffice to say, get used to leaving a lot of stuff on your plate and order side salads. Start trying to figure out what the nutritional value of foods are and don't go to a restaurant thinking 'I'd like to eat ...'. Rather look at the menu, pick the 3 'best' things and choose one of them. Stay away from fried food and suaces. Then order a side salad without dressing and leave half the main dish. Also get creative if you have to. Example you're forced into a fast-food restaurant. Have 2-3 grilled chicken sandwiches, no mayo, extra veggies. Discard the bread and eat the chicken and veggies.

If all else fails I try to eat lots of fruit (apples, oranges, pears, bananas if necessary). Maybe not the best if you are a 300lb bodybuilder with 6% bodyfat, but for most of us it will get us though a few days wihought too much damage. If your relatives don't have fruit, this is usually one thing you can buy or bring with you without upsetting anyone.

Some days (or weeks) definitely feel more like damage control than moving forward, but I find this is where the 'real' will power is. Especially leaving 1/2 a plate of tasty food when you're not completely full!

What I did see for those of you who just can't stand to cheat, is a carb supplement that's supposedly a 100% slow burning carb that you mix with a liquid. I think I saw it on this site called Body Changers.

This is exactly what I have been looking for, but I haven't found anything. Protein shakes and liquid carbs....what could be easier than an all-liquid meal ;)

Seriously though, if you do find out what exactly this stuff is, let some of us know!

For me it's simply "crunching the numbers". If I do well 5 days in a row, I've got no qualms with chowing down the day after. If this technique works - as it has been - then I continue. If it stops working, then I would go more days between cheat days.

In terms of how do I find the will power on those 5 days, it's merely a matter of focusing on the end point, during which I know I'll enjoy my cheat day much, much more if I've earned it.

However, if I'm put in a compromising situation, such as somebody's birthday party, then I'll indulge, because that's expected. I know that I can make it up later. I'm trying to get down to 10% now and I was at 12% a couple of weeks ago, but I'm at 13% or more now. The reason is that I've had an influx of family visits. I know that during this time I could have stuck to my diet, but they don't visit much, and more importantly I'm utterly confident in my ability to rebound when they leave, make up for lost ground, and surge ahead into new terroritory. Given this fact I've been eating a lot, for several days at a time. I could fight it, but I don't quite want to. I can pay for it later on, and I will.

Nobody can stick to a diet day in and day out indefinitely. The sooner you realize that cheat days or cheat meals, or loosening the belt every once in a while is a good idea, the better you'll feel.

BTW, you don't need a supplement.